Herein is our Reader's Digest version of Chris Christie's very winding thoughts on becoming Mitt Romney's vice presidential nominee as told to reporters Tuesday: Basically, Christie doesn't really want to be Mitt Romney's vice president, but he'd totally thinks about doing it, because, look, he was totally on the Romney train before everyone else, and lord knows he's worked for it, but really, he's not very interested, unless Romney's interested, in which case maybe he's interested, but he's not, but he is....Ay!

We're poking fun, of course, and we understand his dilemma: it's a political no-no to admit you want the nod when you're also still running for governor of New Jersey. Still, pulling the emphatic "I don't want it" act more typical of those under consideration doesn't really fit with Christie's whole "straight-talking" persona, so, this is about as close as he can get to telling New Jersey that, honestly, he'd be interested in the VP spot. Via ABC News, Christie actually said, in part:

I also think it is extraordinarily arrogant for you to say you won’t even listen to the nominee of your party – especially for me. It’s someone who I’ve been supporting since last October vigorously around the country – that I wouldn’t take a call from Mitt Romney ... [If] Mitt Romney calls and wants to discuss it with me, I will sit down and talk with Gov. Romney about it ... He knows that it’s not my desire, my lifelong wish to be vice president of the United States, so the fact is if he comes and talks to me about it I’ll certainly listen and listening means going into it with an open mind ... But no, this is not something I am campaigning for or looking for.

Like we said: "Yes I'm interested, but not really, but sort of, but definitely ... not." Got that?

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